July 31, 2017

The Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated and Ikhras Shoe-Of-The-Month Award winning Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) continues to lie to the U.S. public. After extensive consultations and planning with the Lebanese and Syrian governments, Hezbollah resistance fighters joined a coordinated assault on Al-Qaeda and ISIS terrorists based on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal. The operation unfolded on the mountainous, barren and unpopulated region of Joroud Arsal which spans the border of Lebanon and Syria. The highly anticipated assault took place after exhaustive negotiations failed to secure the Al-Qaeda fighters’ withdrawal from the area. The Syrian administration had agreed to permit the local Al-Qaeda leader, Abu-Malek Al-Talli (infamous for kidnapping a group of Nuns and chopping off the heads of kidnapped Lebanese soldiers), and his fighters to join their fellow “mujahideen” in the Al-Qaeda-held, Northern Syrian city of Idlib. When Al-Qaeda overran Idlib in March of 2015, this same CAIR “activist” congratulated the Syrian people on its “liberation.”

As a condition for his fighters’ withdrawal to Idlib, Abu-Malek demanded that he be provided safe passage to Turkey with tens of millions of dollars and all his wives. When it became apparent further negotiations would be futile, the Hezbollah resistance forces took part in a closely-coordinated operation with the Lebanese and Syrian militaries to uproot Al-Qaeda fighters from the region. Any force entering this desolate area with the intention to commit a massacre would be disappointed to discover it is uninhabited.

If the so-called activists and self-appointed spokespersons for U.S. Muslims at CAIR are not going to ikhras, they should at least refrain from lying to their fellow Americans and offering cryptic support for terrorists in the collective name of the U.S. Muslim community. Muslims who were born and raised in the Arab world, speak Arabic with native ability and are well-informed about Arab geography, politics and current events have a moral responsibility to tell the truth and expose CAIR activists’ cryptic support for terrorism and the lies peddled to the U.S. public in our collective community name.

March 23, 2016

The hypocrisy of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) when it comes to condemning violence and terrorism is common knowledge by now so it should have come as no surprise that immediately following the news of a terrorist attack in Brussels CAIR rushed to issue a press release condemning the attack and feigning moral outrage. This is standard operating procedure for the ikhras Shoe-of-the-Month award-winning organization which has been consistently selective in which terrorist attacks it condemns and which ones it chooses to ignore. This pattern of behavior has not been difficult to discern. CAIR basically adopts and internalizes the racist double standards of Western governments and media. Acts of terrorism in Western cities receive far greater attention that those in Arab, African, or Muslim-majority countries. Rather than offering a clear moral condemnation of all acts of terrorism regardless of the nationality, race, or religion of the victims and perpetrators, CAIR issues disingenuous press releases that amount to little more than transparent political posturing.

November 16, 2015

The site of twin suicide bombings in the Burj Al-Barajneh neighborhood of Beirut

In the past few years we have noticed and documented on social media a distinct and disturbing pattern of behavior from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) regarding its response to terrorist attacks across the globe. The latest terrorist attacks carried out by ISIS in Paris, coming just one day after a similar attack in Beirut, stood out as a clear reminder of CAIR’s consistent hypocrisy and selective moral outrage.

After the same terror group targeted a market and mosque in Beirut killing over 40 people, there was no reaction from CAIR, no statement condemning the slaughter, no press conference, and none of those meaningless “interfaith vigils.” One day later as news of the attacks in Paris broke, and before the extent of the carnage became known, CAIR quickly issued a press release condemning the attack and immediately commenced a well-advertised, public campaign of moral outrage.

October 12, 2015

After meeting with White House officials to once again urge the Obama administration to launch a war on Syria, American Islamists led by the Ikhras Shoe-Of-The-Month Award-winningCouncil on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) held yet another of their Syria-related press conferences. This latest one was staged in front of the Russian embassy in Washington D.C. to condemn Russian military assistance to Syria. Last week Russia began an air campaign directed at Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and other terrorist organizations. The joint Russian-Syrian operation was undertaken after an official request from the legitimate Syrian government and months of planning by the Russian and Syrian military leaderships. Nevertheless, CAIR and the usual cast of U.S. Islamists, which included the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), decided to condemn Russia’s military operation in Syria, as if these impudent charlatans are entitled to offer an unsolicited opinion about, let alone a condemnation of, a bilateral relationship between two independent sovereign states. Clearly, they have adopted the same paternalistic, condescending and colonial mentality of the U.S political class in front of which they made a career out of groveling.

September 30, 2014

As George Bush was slaughtering Iraqis CAIR hosted the war criminal at a Mosque

[Ikhras Note: The following post first appeared on The Angry Arab Blog on September 27, 2014 (photo added by ikhras). CAIR is the highest-profile House Muslim organization in the US and a recipient of the ikhras shoe-of-the-month award. To learn more about this corrosive, establishment organization visit ikhras.]

You know the story: all Muslim and Arab American organizations in DC have fallen under the direct influence of Gulf regimes, as have most Arabs journalists in the capital. This happened right after 1990 when the Saudi regime sent various princes to close the deal to control all Arab media and organizations in the West (as many were under the influence of Saddam or Qadhdhafi). Saudi Arabia did not want dissent from Arabs in the West lest they disturb their lobbying and propaganda efforts in the West. I read that CAIR and other Muslim American organizations held a press conference to issue statements against ISIS: as if any Muslims in the US or elsewhere listen to them and adhere to their standards. And why is it their business to issue exclusive denunciations? Were Jewish organizations expected during the savage war on Gaza to issue statements of denunciations against Israeli terrorism? And don’t they with their theatrics not reinforce the association between Islam and the terrorism and kooky ideology of ISIS (shared by the same patrons of Arab and Muslim organizations in DC)? They should if they want condemn terrorism in all its form and not focus on “Islamic terrorism” and they should even categorically reject the notion that there is a religious label to terrorism. But then again: it is a job and they have to do it and those are willing to abandon two of the five pillars of Islam in return for a photo op at the White House. Instead, they should say that ISIS should be blamed on the foreign policies of the US and its allies who have in the last several decades produced the monsters of Al-Qa`idah and ISIS, among other terrorists roaming the Middle East region.

May 14, 2013

The Ikhras editors are pleased to announce the winner of the Muntadhar Zaidi Ikhras Shoe of the Month Award for April, 2013 is the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR earned this prestigious honor for its reaction to Boston marathon bombings that killed three and injured more than 200 on April 15. The competition was stiff this month as the predictable buffoonery, expressions of moral outrage, and calls for the always ridiculous “interfaith meetings” commenced immediately after the bombing and continue as of the time of this writing. One community clown who recently discovered his Islamic heritage after the age of 40 as part of a new career path actually began a CNN segment with “I’m a Muslim and I despise terrorism.” April was a month in which we regret we have but one shoe to throw and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination (ADC) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) were among the finalists. After an initially strong showing the ADC fell behind when it was reported that the suspects were Muslims, but not Arabs. The ADC is only responsible for the potential transgressions of 350 Million Arabs. Like CAIR, MPAC also assumed responsibility for about 1.5 billion Muslims and earned the dubbing Muslim Public Apology Center. However, after careful consideration the ikhras awards committee determined that the response of CAIR’s far more extensive network to the Boston bombings was the best illustration of the house behavior this award was established to recognize.

February 20, 2013

Nihad Awad With George Bush Jr (2000)

After posting a photo of Nihad Awad from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) with George Bush Jr on our twitter feed with a comment (السفاح الذي قتل اكثر من مليون عراقي هو الذي تقف الى جانبه لتآخذ صورة تذكارية) about his willingness to attend a White House photo-op with the butcher of over one million Iraqis Mr. Awad sent us the following message:

There is no problem with you having a different opinion, however, do not make assertions about what you don’t know. This picture was taken in the year 2000 so I hope you would have the courage to correct your mistake. I did not meet with Bush after 2001. [Translation by ikhras]

Yes Mr. Awad, we have no problem correcting any “mistake” you can plausibly claim we may have made. We did not indicate the date of the photo, but since we were clearly criticizing your willingness to attend a Bush White House photo-op, we’re willing to point out this photo was taken prior to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. But this then presents a question for you which we also hope you have the courage to answer honestly. Are you implying that you would have declined an invitation to a Bush White House event after 2003 in protest of the criminal invasion of Iraq? Your own political “activism” and CAIR’s almost 2o-year record of continuous and uninterrupted working relationships with successive US administrations would suggest otherwise.

November 23, 2012

Zogby with his good friend Martin Indyk on MSNBC

[Ikhras Note: During Israel’s eight-day onslaught on Gaza a select few Arab and Muslim Americans appeared in the mainstream US media as representatives of the Palestinian side of the conflict or spokespersons for the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities. These groups and individuals do not represent the views of the Palestinian, Arab or Muslim communities in the US, and were certainly not appointed as spokespersons for the Palestinian people under occupation.]

To our knowledge, during the entire eight days of Israeli air, sea, and land bombardment of Gaza not a single authentic Palestinian-American voice or any neutral, objective expert on the Arab world was invited to appear or write in mainstream television or print media. Instead what we watched was a parade of pseudo-analysts, Arab Zionists, anti-Palestinian ideologues, self-appointed spokespersons of all stripes, and even a couple of comedians. All of them, without exception, were invited to parrot the Israel narrative, or at best, offer polite criticism of Israel in the name of Palestinians and Arab or Muslim Americans.

many Muslims do not feel there is a national Muslim-American organization that represents them. When asked which of a list of national Muslim American organizations represents their itnerests [sic], 55% of Muslim men and 42% of Muslim women say that none do.

May 10, 2011

A bunch of House Arabs and House Muslims wrote the following open letter to Brahim Zaibat, who until recently was Madonna’s “boytoy.” OK, they didn’t really write this, but they might as well could have, considering their strong desire to grovel to the US mainstream while the US rains death and destruction on innocent populations.

Dear Brahim,

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatu Allah. We are US-based Arab and Muslim organizations. We implore you to reconsider your recent decision to break up with pop star Madonna. Madonna is more famous than fame and you’re the first Arab Muslim to enjoy an intimate relationship with her. Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what’s at stake here?

Madonna does interfaith

Your behavior reflects poorly on all Arabs and Muslims. You make it look as if Islam is incongruent with Kabbalah and Judaism generally. We will have a hard time explaining your behavior to Zionists at upcoming interfaith dialogue meetings. Many of us have lost sleep contemplating how embarrassing it will be. We just got done swearing to them how happy we are about Osama Bin Laden’s death, then you came along and ruined everything. Now we’re back to square one, proving we’re a tolerant, peaceful bunch, no thanks to you. (Palestine is not discussed at these meetings, in case you were wondering).

Your relationship with Madonna had been the best thing for our image since Rima Fakih. You’re the first Arab Muslim to share a stage with the queen of pop. We couldn’t have dreamed of a more distinctive privilege. Do you know how many deaths your picture dancing alongside Madonna has prevented? When reminded of your relationship with Madonna, which proves our humanity, many a drone attack has been called off and many Arabs and Muslims have been removed off no-fly lists.

As you may know, Madonna is a staunch supporter of Israel. If you rejoin hands with her, you may change her mind to support the creation of a Palestinian state on a whopping 22% of historic Palestine. Do you understand now the kind of serious responsibility you owe the ummah?

In case you had pangs of conscience about dancing with the Material Girl or thought it may be inconsistent with Islam, rest assured that our own in-house sheikhs have issued a fatwa specifically allowing any and all behavior, from participating in beauty pageants to serving in the US Army and occupying Arab and majority-Muslim countries, as long as the end-result is assimilation into the US mainstream.

If you insist that you no longer want to be Madonna’s boytoy, could you at least talk her into considering any ADC intern as a replacement? They’ve got a lot of training dancing to the tunes of war played by the Republican and Democratic Parties.

February 14, 2011

One of the top ways to disrespect a revolution is to use it as an opportunity to score cheap political points by praising your own local warmongering commander in chief and ignoring that Obama has sent military support to Mubarak since the former was inaugurated. CAIR has stated:

[Nihad] Awad said CAIR also welcomed President Obama’s statements in support of a “genuine transition” to democracy in Egypt. “President Obama demonstrated that he is on the right side of history by supporting the will of the Egyptian people,” said Awad.

Awad is supposed to know Arabic, so unlike James Zogby and Ray Hanania, one can’t give him the benefit of the doubt for failing to understand the Egyptian people’s outrage at numerous US administrations’ support for their dictator. In fact, the Egyptian people’s dissatisfaction with US support for Obama was even stated for him in plain English in mainstream media:

Anti-American sentiment in Egypt has percolated just below the surface in Egypt for years, exacerbated by the 2003 invasion of Iraq and Washington’s steadfast support for Israel.

While the current level of public antipathy remains relatively low, anti-U.S. placards have been popping up amid the anti-Mubarak posters in the streets. And some seeking an end to Mubarak’s three decades of rule are quick to cite what they see as American hypocrisy.

“They are just waiting to see which side wins and then they will claim to have backed them all along,” said Amin Iskander, an official of the El Karama party, an opposition group.

If you must state your congratulations to the Egyptian people along with praise for a US president who’d supported the target of their revolution, then better to ikhras, Nihad. You’re either hopelessly naive for believing damage-control statements politicians like Obama make and taking them at face value. Or you’re opportunistic. Either way, you’re an embarrassing spokesperson for US Muslims. Both you and Obama are on the wrong side of history on this and on many other issues.

February 8, 2011

The uprisings and revolutionary fervor sweeping many parts of the Arab world have now reached the United States. Reliable sources have confirmed to Ikhras that thousands of Arab and Muslim Americans, and their supporters from all backgrounds are descending upon Washington DC for a protest march against the House Arabs and Muslims, and the self-appointed representatives, both individuals and organizations, that have falsely invoked the name of the community in pursuit of the their comfortable, personal careers, and narrow institutional interests.

According to our source who spoke to one of the organizers, once the protesters reach Washington they plan to break up into three groups. One will assemble in front of the headquarters of the Anti-Arab Discrimination Committee (ADC) which was funded with the help of the slimy and shady Saudi Prince Waleed Bin Talal. A second group will assemble in front of the offices of James Zogby’s one-man outfit, the Arab-American Institute (AAI), which has also enjoyed the largess of Bin Talal, receives funding from other Arab oil-Sheiks (“Shakes”as Zogby says), and functions as a public relations firm for the rulers of “Dew-Bye” and “Abu-Dobby.” The last group will gather in front of the National office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR has also received funding from Waleed Bin Talal and other Saudi sources, and Nihad Awad has spoken positively about the reactionary, medieval, and oppressive Saudi regime which, not coincidentally, is also the American-designated voice of Muslims worldwide.

The protesters will present the following list of 10 demands to individuals and groups in Washington:

January 27, 2011

Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) takes serious offense at the hypocritical, condescending language President Barack Obama expressed during his State of the Union address this week. We reject Obama’s pretentious statement that “American Muslims are a part of our American family” and consider it an insult to our intelligence. These words carry no weight considering Obama’s ongoing war on our Muslim sisters and brothers in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Palestine and Somalia and continually dwindling civil rights here in the US.

We refuse to accept the material comforts of the American dream while innocent Muslims abroad are slaughtered and tortured everyday by American bombs and drones. We refuse to be silenced about US war crimes in return for elusive inclusion in the so-called American family. We can and should advocate for both civil rights at home and cessation of brutal military occupations committed in our names abroad.

We have also reprimanded our executive director Nihad Awad for missing a perfect opportunity to remind the public about US atrocities on his recent NPR interview in which he was given a chance to comment on the State of the Union address. Awad failed to mention the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq even once. He was too busy emphasizing the need for “civil” discourse. We’re embarrassed by Awad’s heedlessness and apologize to the Muslim American community for this unacceptable omission.

Due to Awad’s insensitivity, failure to shout from the rooftops about ongoing genocide, and his disorganized priorities, we’ve prohibited him from appearing in the media on behalf of CAIR for a month. He is also to write the following statement on a blackboard at CAIR’s headquarters 100 times: “To say that we should have civility in our discourse is a code word in the media and in political debate, for saying that we should not be exposing our leaders as criminals, or calling for their removal from office. Civility is really the death of politics, which thrives on passion and withers with civility.”

November 25, 2010

The King of “Saudi Arabia” has arrived in the United States for medical treatment. The official Saudi Press Agency says the 86-year-old monarch was greeted by Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal and a number of top Saudi officials after landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport on Tuesday. The Servant of Zionism and Imperialism is to be treated for a herniated disc and a blood clot. Paid mouthpieces for the ruling family have been reassuring everyone that the King is fine, but no explanation was offered as to why the richest oil-producing country in the world the last few decades does not have adequate medical facilities capable of treating the barely-intelligible ruler of the most oppressive regime in the world.

Arab analysts said that even if “Saudi Arabia” did have adequate facilities and personnel, the ruling family prefers the King be treated in a country where they can find atleast a few Arabs and Muslims who actually care about the health of this ignorant and ruthless dictator. The only few concerned individuals were found outside the Arab world in Washington DC. As Abdullah was arriving in New York members of the “Arab and Muslim lobby” in the US canceled all their planned events and rushed to a hastily planned, joint-meeting to determine the appropriate course of action. What occured after that meeting is the following: